Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-August from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on augmented reality, subscription billing, fraud protection, product photography, real-time payments, autonomous deliveries, and packaging.
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Ecommerce Product Releases
Ordergroove introduces Essentials for recurring revenue experiences. Ordergroove has announced Ordergroove Essentials for emerging brands looking to launch their first recurring revenue programs — such as subscriptions, reordering, and memberships. Essentials includes self-service tools to manage customers and monitor performance, comprehensive API resources, a suite of capabilities to enhance recurring revenue experiences, and off-the-shelf integration with select partners.
Ordergroove
Facebook’s Spark AR now lets anyone build and share effects on Instagram. Facebook’s Spark augmented reality platform is moving out of its Instagram publishing closed beta. Now anyone can create and publish her own Spark AR effects on Instagram. Facebook is also introducing Effect Gallery, which includes niche AR effects from up-and-coming artists, making it easier for people to discover unique effects from the creator community.
Amazon Scout begins robot deliveries in California. Expanding beyond the Seattle test area, Amazon’s Scout autonomous robots have begun to deliver packages to customers in Southern California, Monday through Friday, during daylight hours. Customers in the Irvine area will order just as normal, and their Amazon packages will be delivered by a carrier partner or Amazon Scout. The normal delivery options are available via Scout, including fast, free same-day, one-day, and two-day shipping for Prime members. The devices will autonomously follow their delivery route, and will initially be accompanied by an Amazon Scout Ambassador.
3dcart partners with ClearSale for ecommerce fraud protection for customers. International fraud protection player ClearSale has inked a partnership with 3dcart, a leading ecommerce platform. The partnership offers 3dcart customers advanced card-not-present fraud protection that combines machine learning with human expertise to deliver high order approvals and low false positives. Merchants using ClearSale will also receive guaranteed protection from fraud-related chargebacks.
ClearSale
Splitit partners with music software provider Ableton. Splitit, a global payments platform, has announced a partnership with Ableton AG, an international provider of music software, to offer Splitit’s monthly-installment payment service to its online consumers in the United States, with South America, Australia, and select European Union countries to follow.
AWS announces the availability of AWS Lake Formation. Amazon Web Services has announced the general availability of AWS Lake Formation, a managed service that makes it much easier for customers to build, secure, and manage data lakes, a method of storing raw data in its native format. AWS Lake Formation simplifies and automates many of the complex manual steps usually required to create a data lake. Customers can easily bring their data into a lake from a variety of sources using pre-defined templates, automatically classify and prepare the data, and centrally define granular data access policies to govern access by the different groups within an organization. Customers can then analyze this data using their choice of AWS analytics and machine-learning services.
ThreeKit launches Virtual Photographer to create product images automatically. ThreeKit, a product visualization company, has announced the launch of Virtual Photographer, software that creates product images for ecommerce that look real but are completely computer-rendered. Retailers and brands use the Virtual Photographer as part of their digital image creation internally, with no need to involve an outside agency. The software allows any brand to use its own teams to reproduce consistently high-quality, high-detail, customizable images for thousands of different products. The Virtual Photographer platform can integrate with existing in-house photography teams by automating repetitive tasks.
ThreeKit
Pregis joins the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier network. Pregis, a protective packaging materials and automated systems manufacturer, has joined the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier (APASS) network. Pregis has received guidance from Amazon on how to design, test, and supply packaging that meets the ecommerce company’s guidelines. As part of the APASS network, Pregis can certify that packages meet the requirements of Amazon’s “frustration-free packaging programs” and its three tiers of certification: Tier 1 (frustration-free packaging), Tier 2 (ships-in-own-container), and Tier 3 (prep-free packaging).
Federal Reserve announces plan to develop round-the-clock real-time payment and settlement service for faster payments. The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced plans to develop a round-the-clock real-time payment and settlement service, called FedNow Service, in the United States. Faster payment services, enabling the near-instantaneous transfer of funds day and night, weekend and weekdays, have the potential to become widely used and to yield economic benefits for individuals and businesses by providing them with more flexibility to manage their money. The Federal Reserve Board is requesting comment on how the new service might be designed to most effectively support the full set of payment system stakeholders and the broader U.S. payment system.
3M’s Scotch launches Flex & Seal Shipping Roll. Scotch has introduced a new shipping method intended to save time, supplies, and space. “Flex & Seal Shipping Roll” features a three-layer construction that provides water and tear resistance, cushioning, and a guaranteed secure seal. Because it’s a roll, users can cut the exact amount of material to fit an item, making it an efficient alternative to cardboard boxes, poly mailers, shipping bags, and padded envelopes. Scotch Flex & Seal Shipping Roll is available in 10-foot, 20-foot, 50-foot, and 200-foot roll sizes.
Scotch Flex & Seal Shipping Roll